Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Columnist Charles Krauthammer on the “O’Reilly Factor” Tuesday night said the “biggest scandal of all” regarding the Benghazi attacks on Sept. 11, 2012, has yet to emerge.

“I think there is a bigger story here, here’s the one that will in time come out,” Krauthammer said. ”The biggest scandal of all, the biggest question is: What was the president doing in those eight hours?”

“He had a routine meeting at five o’clock. He never after, during the eight hours when our guys have their lives in danger, he never called the Secretary of Defense, he never calls the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, he never calls the CIA Director,” Krauthammer continued.

“Who does he call? About five hours in he calls the Secretary of State. And after the phone call she releases a statement essentially about the video and how we denounce any intolerance. It looks as if the only phone call was to construct a cover story at a time when the last two Americans who died were still alive and fighting for their lives. There’s the scandal and that has to be uncovered.”

Krauthammer’s thoughts come as the Obama administration is in the throes of several other scandals, including the IRS targeting conservative groups and two cases of the Department of Justice conducting investigations into leaks that involved obtaining Associated Press reporters’ phone records and the emails of Fox News reporter James Rosen.

Also on the show, Krauthammer addressed Attorney General Eric Holder who has been under fire for how the Justice Department obtained information regarding members of the media for its investigations.

Krauthammer said he thinks Holder “would have to go because he is a liability to the president.” A couple weeks ago, President Barack Obama said he had “complete confidence in Eric Holder as attorney general.”

Krauthammer acknowledged Obama’s support for Holder but said “now he learns that he clearly did not say the truth, and he can’t pretend that he didn’t remember because he signs a lot of stuff.

“Because the release from the Department of Justice was, he didn’t only sign the search warrant against Rosen that essentially named him as a co-defendant, criminal co-defendant, he actually discussed it. So he can’t say like Hillary did, ‘Oh, I sign a lot of stuff. I can’t remember,’” Krauthammer said.

We have lost Ken Venturi...If you had listened to a golf broadcast in the 80's or 90's, even the early 2000's, you heard Ken's voice from the broadcast booth. He was quite a legend and a joy to listen to...- As a side note... I've played Harding Park on several occasions, and let me tell you, it's no cake walk!

Ken Venturi, who overcame dehydration to win the 1964 U.S. Open and spent 35 years in the booth for CBS Sports, died Friday afternoon. He was 82.

His son, Matt Venturi, said he died in a hospital in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Venturi had been hospitalized the last two months for a spinal infection, pneumonia, and then an intestinal infection that he could no longer fight.

Venturi died 11 days after he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

He couldn’t make it to the induction. His sons, Matt and Tim, accepted on his behalf after an emotional tribute by Jim Nantz, who worked alongside Venturi at CBS.

“When dad did receive the election into the Hall of Fame, he had a twinkle in his eye, and that twinkle is there every day,” Tim Venturi said that night.

Venturi was all about overcoming the odds.A prominent amateur who grew up in San Francisco, he captured his only major in the 1964 U.S. Open at Congressional, the last year the final round was 36 holes. In oppressive heat, Venturi showed signs of dehydration and a doctor recommended he stop playing because it could be fatal. Venturi pressed on to the finish, closed with a 70 and was heard to say, “My God, I’ve won the U.S. Open.”

He had a severe stuttering problem as a child, yet went on to become one of the familiar voices in golf broadcasting. He began working for CBS in 1968 and lasted 35 years.

“We all knew what a wonderful player Ken Venturi was, and how he fashioned a second successful career as an announcer,” Jack Nicklaus said. “But far more important than how good he was at playing the game or covering it, Ken was my friend. Ken was fortunate in that the game of golf gave him so much, but without question, Ken gave back far more to the game he loved than he ever gained from it. Over the years, Ken developed a circle of friends that is enormous and whose collective heart is heavy today.”

Venturi played on one Ryder Cup team and was U.S. captain in the 2000 Presidents Cup.

“His tremendous accomplishments on the golf course were certainly Hall of Fame worthy on their own, but in Ken one finds a rare example of a golfer whose second career, in television, rivaled the legendary status of his competitive achievements,” PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem said. “His unique perspective and poetic delivery as an announcer enhanced countless memorable moments in golf, making his voice and presence as in indelible as the historic tournaments he covered. Ken will forever be remembered as a consummate gentleman, and he will be truly missed.”

Venturi was born May 15, 1931, in San Francisco, and he developed his game at Harding Park Golf Course. He won the California State Amateur at Pebble Beach in 1951 and 1956, while serving in the Army in Korea between those two amateur titles.

His stammering problem is what led him to golf.

“When I was 13 years old, the teacher told my mother, ‘I’m sorry, Mrs. Venturi, but your son will never be able to speak. He’s an incurable stammerer,’” Venturi said in 2011. “My mother asked me what I planned to do. I said, ‘I’m taking up the loneliest sport I know,’ and picked up a set of hickory shaft across the street from a man and went to Harding Park and played my first round of golf.”

As an amateur, he was the 54-hole leader in the 1956 Masters until closing with an 80, and he was runner-up at Augusta National in 1960 to Arnold Palmer, who birdied the last two holes.

He turned pro and won his first PGA Tour at the St. Paul Open Invitational. Venturi won eight times over the next three years, including the Los Angeles Open and the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach, before injuries started to affect his game after nearly winning the 1960 Masters.

He hurt his back in 1961 and badly injured his wrist in a car accident the next year. He missed the U.S. Open three straight years until he narrowly qualified for Congressional. It turned out to be an epic final day for the Californian coping with broiling heat.

Venturi shot 66 in the third round, but was feeling weak during the break before the final round that afternoon. John Everett, a doctor and member at Congressional, checked on him and found a normal pulse but symptoms of dehydration.

“Dr. Everett told me ... I was lying next to my locker and he says, ‘I suggest that you don’t go out. It could be fatal,’” Venturi said in 2011 when he returned to Congressional for the U.S. Open. “I looked up at him and I said, ‘Well, it’s better than the way I’ve been living.’ And I got off the floor, and I do not remember walking to the first tee. I don’t remember the front nine until I started coming into it.”

Venturi was so shaken, so weak, when it was over that his final act was to sign the scorecard. He couldn’t even read the numbers. Joe Dey, the executive director of the USGA, looked over his shoulder, checked the scores and told him to sign it.

Sports Illustrated honored him as its “Sportsman of the Year” in 1964.

Venturi won three more times, his last win coming in 1966 at the Lucky International at Harding Park, where it all started.

He eventually developed Carpel Tunnel Syndrome in his hands and was forced to retire. That’s when he moved into the booth as the lead analyst for CBS Sports, and his voice filled living rooms for the next 35 years until he retired in 2002.

“He was a deeply principled man with a dynamic presence. He just exuded class,” Nantz said. “Through his competitive days and unequalled broadcasting career, Kenny became a human bridge connecting everyone from Sarazen, Nelson and Hogan to the greatest players of today’s generation. Kenny faced many adversities in his life and always found a way to win.”

Venturi was elected to the Hall of Fame through the Lifetime Achievement category. Nantz gave an emotional tribute that night, and then called Venturi’s two sons to the stage to hold the trophy because “we need to put the crystal in the hands of the Venturi family.”

“If there is some sense of fairness, it is that Ken was inducted into a Hall of Fame that he very much deserved to be in and, in fact, should have been in for many years,” Nicklaus said. “While I know he was not able to be there in person for his induction, I am certain there was an overwhelming sense of pride and peace that embraced Ken. It was a dream of Ken Venturi’s that became a reality before he sadly left us.”

Venturi is survived his wife of 10 years, Kathleen, and his two sons. Matt Venturi said services were pending.Copyright 2013 The Associated Press

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Palin to NRA: Media Allow Obama to Exploit Tragedies to Push Gun ControlBy Kevin SchollaFrom Brietbart.comHOUSTON -- Speaking at the National Rifle Association (NRA) convention on Friday, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin accused the mainstream media of allowing President Barack Obama to exploit tragedies like Newtown to push for more gun control and defended the pro-Second Amendment organization that has been vilified after the gun-related incidents.

Palin pointed out the same media that "tore apart" former President George W. Bush for using images of the 9/11 attacks in ads now serve as cheerleaders for Obama, whom she accused of using the victims of tragedies like Newtown as "backdrops in his perpetual campaign-style press events."

"That same media is now a reliable, poodle-skirted cheerleader for a president who writes the book on exploiting tragedy," Palin said.

Along with Obama, Palin also called out Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer, and Dianne Feinstein for exploiting "emotions for their own agenda."

"It's not just self serving," Palin said. "It's destructive, and it must stop."

Palin told the law-abiding, patriotic group at the conference that the "struggle to protect our Second Amendment rights is spotlighting once again how broken Washington is."

"Leaders are in it for themselves, not for the American people," Palin said while wearing an Under Armour 'Women Hunt' T-shirt.

This year's NRA theme is “Stand and Fight," and it was appropriate given how fiercely Palin has stood her ground against the attacks and has fought for gun owners without wavering.

Showing once again that she can use props to effectively deliver a message, Palin whipped out a tin of smokeless tobacco when addressing the hypocrisy of New York City Mayor Bloomberg, who wants to ban the display of even legal tobacco products.

"Don't make me do it," Palin said, of potentially dipping, which was also a reference to her CPAC speech in which she sipped a Big Gulp on stage to highlight the ridiculousness of Bloomberg's proposed soda ban. The move was met with laughs and cheers, similar to the response her Big Gulp moment received at CPAC.

She joked that she swiped the dip from Todd, and he had been looking for it all morning.

Palin specifically singled out Bloomberg, who she said was "bitterly clinging to notion government must control the people and all aspects of life."

She called him out for his hypocrisy for wanting to ban guns even though he has armed body guards.

Palin said those like Bloomberg have the mindset of, "What's right for thee is not right for me."

The atmosphere in the room turned even more serious when Palin used the Kermit Gosnell case as an example of how sorely the media lack integrity regarding the monstrous mass murderer" of babies. She said the media's silence on the matter ultimately erodes the country's freedoms.

Palin said the battle for the Second Amendment was personal to her, citing her son who is in the military.

"This fight is about what kind of people we are," Palin said. She added that she wants her son Trig to grow up in an exceptional country, and the Second Amendment is a necessary component.

Palin said what drives her -- and those who are likeminded -- when they are scorned, vilified, and discounted is the spirit of Americans who stand up for the country's freedoms even in the face of such relentless hostility.

"What keeps us reloading in this fight is the faces I see here today," Palin said. "I love you guys."

Palin closed out her optimistic speech while those in attendance gave her a thunderous and rousing standing ovation.

"Keep the faith," Palin implored. "Stand up for our freedoms."

Palin was speaking at the conference just weeks after the Toomey-Manchin gun control bill was defeated. Breitbart Sports was at the conference, and attendees were inspired and felt her words and resolve were needed and great news for the NRA, liberty, and, ultimately, for America. Cindy Cassidy and Tony Lee contributed to this report

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

In Illinois, they have some of the strictest gun control in the country. No Concealed carry permits are issued to citizens, and the state DOES NOT recognise any permits from other states. And, when a firearm is being transported, it must be unloaded and enclosed in a case. To legally possess firearms or ammunition, Illinois residents must have a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card, issued by the state police.

At least three people were killed and 17 wounded in shootings across Chicago overnight as the city saw its warmest weather in seven months.

In one of the fatal shootings, three men were shot in a parking lot across the street from the headquarters of the UIC Police Department, police said. The shooting happened around 10:40 p.m. in the 1000 block of West Maxwell Street, Police News Affairs Officer Amina Greer said.

All three men were taken to Stroger Hospital of Cook County. The conditions of two of them, 19 and 21, were stabilized at the hospital, Greer said. The third man, 19-year-old Tytrell Jackson, was pronounced dead at 11:13 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

About 12:10 a.m., a 27-year-old man was shot in the chest in the 6800 block of South Cornell Avenue, in the South Shore neighborhood, police said.

The man was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 12:53 a.m. The medical examiner's office identified him as Darrin Rodgers, of the 6800 block of South Cornell.

About 1:20 a.m., gunfire claimed another life, this time in the Lawndale neighborhood.

Police responding to the scene found a 23-year-old man lying in an alley near the 1900 block of South Drake Avenue, bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds, authorities said.

Pierre Howelett, of the 14300 block of South Halsted Street in Harvey, died on the scene, according to the medical examiner's office.

Earlier, about 7 p.m., three men were shot near the intersection of East 71st Street and South Jeffrey Boulevard, police said. An 18-year-old man, a 22-year-old man and a 23-year-old man were shot, according to Chicago Fire Department officials.

The younger two victims were taken to Northwestern and Stroger, and the 23-year-old refused medical attention for a graze wound.

About 6:15 p.m., three people were shot in the 10800 block of South Princeton Avenue at 6:13 p.m., according to fire officials. They were taken to Stroger Hospital and MetroSouth Medical Center in Blue Island, officials said. The condition of a 16-year-old boy had stabilized, and two men, ages 40 and 44, were listed in serious-to-critical condition.

In other shootings since Tuesday afternoon:

•About 9:15 p.m. a police officer shot a 25-year-old man during a foot chase near the intersection of East 89th Street and South Brandon Ave. The man was shot multiple times but was expected to survive, according to Pat Camden, a spokesman for the Fraternal Order of Police. Accounts from residents and police differ.

•A 16-year-old boy was shot in a drive-by shooting about 11:50 p.m. in the 100 block of West 68th Street, Greer said. The boy was taken to Stroger, where his condition was stabilized.

•About 11:45 p.m., someone with a shotgun opened fire on two 20-year-old men walking in an alley near the 800 block of West 51st Street, police said. One man was struck multiple times, and the other sustained a gunshot wound to the upper back. Both were taken to St. Bernard Hospital and Health Care Center, where they were listed in good condition.

•A 24-year-old woman sustained a graze wound to the shoulder about 10:30 p.m., in the 500 block of West Iowa Street, Greer said. The woman was taken to Northwestern, where her condition was stabilized.

•About 8:30 p.m., a 25-year-old man was shot multiple times in Washington Park, in the 5700 block of South Russell Drive, Greer said. The man was taken to Stroger, where his condition was stabilized.

•A 16-year-old girl was shot on the 700 block of East Oakwood Boulevard at 7:21 p.m., according to police. She was taken to Mercy Hospital and Medical Center with a wound to her arm, officials said.•About 5:15 p.m., a 22-year-old man was shot near Windsor Avenue and Sheridan Road, police said. The man was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center with a wound to his leg.•About 4:30 p.m., a 30-year-old man was shot in the 1000 block of West Garfield Boulevard and was taken in critical condition to Stroger, according to police and fire officials.
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All this happened in ONE DAY!

So Gun Control reduces violence, huh? Give me a break...

Guns are inanimate objects! They just lay there until a person picks them up.

GUNS DON'T KILL PEOPLE... PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE!

Removing guns from law abiding citizens doesn't create a safer city... It creates a city of slaves!